Railroad cross-tie.



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' re'rn Paar JOSHUA E. THOMPSON, OF RICHMOND, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM A. BLOUNT, OF RICHMOND, KENTUCKY.

RAILROAD CROSS-TIE.

Application filed April 28,1915.

1 b all 10710711 it may concern Be it known that I, JOSHUA E. THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the. county of Madison and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Railroad Cross-Tie, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to railroad cross ties, and it is the object of the invention to provide a thoroughly substantial and lasting'cross tie having novel means for assembling the rails therewith.

The invention has for its object the provision of a tie which will be thoroughly substantial in construction to withstand the strains to which it is subjected, and which will have a long life.

Another object of the invention is to provide a railroad tie having assembled therewith, unique means for holding or clamping the rails in place upon the tie, whereby the rails are properly held in place.

It is also within the scope of the invention to provide a railroad tie having the features above noted, and which at the same time, is comparatively simple, non-encumbering and inexpensive in construction, is easily and cheaply manufactured, is easy and convenient to apply to the road bed, and is otherwise thoroughly practical and eflicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved tie. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the tie taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross section of the tie taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a fragmental plan view of a pair of ties illustrating a rail joint supported thereby. Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken on the line 5-5 of. Fig. 4.

In carrying out the invention, the tie l is molded from metal or is formed from any other suitable material, and is square or rectangular in cross section, and is provided specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 24, 1915.

Serial No. 24,490.

above which the rails 4 are disposed, and

the tie l is also provided with upper transverse channels 5 intersecting the slots 3 and receiving the base flanges of the rails 4.

A. bar or member 6 of metal or other suitable material is disposed longitudinally within the bore 2 of the tie 1 and seats upwardly against the top of the tie, and the bar 6 is provided adjacent its ends with upstanding longitudinal portions 7 projecting and fitting within the slots 3. The portions 7 are provided with transverse channels 8 snugly receiving the base flanges of the rails 4. Bolts 9 are engaged upwardlv through the bar 6 and portions 7 thereof at the opposite sides of the rails 4 and channels 8, and nuts 10 are threaded upon the upper ends of the bolts 9. Clamping plates or clips 11 are engaged to the bolts 9 underneath the nuts 10 and overlap the base flanges of the rails 4, and the top of the tie 1 beyond the ends of the slots 3.

The parts may be readily assembled, and when the nuts 10 are tightened, the plates 11 will bear tightly upon the base flanges of the rails 4 and the top of the tie l, to clamp the rails within the recesses 8 of the bar 6, and to also clamp the bar 6 against the top of the tie. The parts are thus normally held together, and the bar 6 will tie the rails together, to prevent their spreading. The channels 5 are preferably slightly wider than the base flanges of the rails 4, and the slots 3 are slightly longer than the portions 7 of the bar 6. When it is desired to remove the rails, it is only necessary to unscrew the nuts 10 slightly, so that the plates or clips 11 may be turned, and which will allow the rails to be lifted off of the tie.

In Figs. 4 and 5, a rail joint is supported by two of the ties 1. Thus, the angle bars 11 which are employed for clamping the ends of the rails 4 together, rest upon the portions 7 of the bars (3 of the two ties, and the edges of the angle bars 11 are provided with notches 12 engaging the bolts 9, whereby the nuts 10 will clamp the angle bars 11 in place upon the base flanges of the rails, the tops of the ties and the portions 7 of the bars 6.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the drawing, it is believed that the numerous advantages of the present structure will be obvious to those familiar in the art, without further comment being necessary. Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is:

In a device of the character described, a.

hollow railroad tie having an upper longitudinal slot and an upper transverse channel intersecting said slot, the channel being adapted to receive the base flange of a rail, a member disposed within the tie and seating against the top thereof, said member having an upstanding portion fitting in said slot and provided with "a channel alining with the aforesaid channel for receiving the base flange of the rail, bolts engaged upwardly through said member and said portion thereof at the opposite sides of the second mentioned channel, and plates engaged to said bolts for overlapping the base flange of the rail, said plates overlapping the tie.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSHUA E. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

RIDER B. TERRILL, J. T. SHAoKELroRD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

